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The best PR campaign of the past 400 years

Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. Who could dislike a holiday that has burgers, beer, and debauchery as its staples?

Everyone has memories of marching in their hometown parade, of lighting (or just watching) fireworks, enjoying the beginning of summer with family and
friends. The day is filled with celebration, all because 56 men pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to create a nation free from
oppression.

You're probably thinking: Here we go with another cliché "let's not forget our Founding Fathers" mantra. I agree, too much of that splashes the front
pages of different publications each year.

However, let's put a different lens on this topic (naturally, from a communications standpoint). Could the Founding Fathers have been PR geniuses?

Let's consider it: They held public prominence in their communities, earning them their positions in the Continental Congress. They forged an identity (or
brand, if you will) for a new nation and created a public document addressed to the king of England that served not only to declare our independence, but
also to energize others looking to change the political process in their own countries.

Pretty inspiring, right? Of course. It may also be one of the best public relations campaigns of the last 400 years.

If we think of the United States as a startup, or a new product launch, the founders did a masterful job with execution. The public had a need (frustrated
by taxation without representation; assaulted in the northeast with the battles at Bunker Hill, Lexington, and Concord, etc.).

They needed a resolution, even if that meant something drastic. The colony had to move forward in order to continue to grow, build its brand, and market
itself to the world. The founders met this need with a public decree that announced the colonies as a new, independent nation, seeking to guarantee the
inherent rights of every man.

A successful public relations program requires the mastery of three important areas when building their own brand. Three of our most famous founders each
mastered one of these areas, creating a trifecta public relations force that even the British Crown couldn't defeat.

Benjamin Franklin: Master of public image

Whether you're a Ben Franklin fan or not, you cannot argue with his panache and international reputation in an age when communication was sluggish.

His public engagement began as a teenager when he disguised his identity in letters he wrote to The New England Courant, posing instead as a
middle-aged widow, Mrs. Silence Dogood. These letters illustrate his humor and wisdom at an early age and earned a swell of attention and praise from
Bostonians, becoming Franklin's first success and spawning what was perhaps the first viral campaign of its time.

From there, he moved to The Pennsylvania Gazette, where he became editor, wrote renowned articles, and built his social standing in Philadelphia.
His personal brand rose with the newspaper's brand, and the publication quickly became one of the most read in the colonies.

Although life in Philadelphia was far from the Appalachian frontier, he never failed at maintaining the frontiersman persona that the French swooned over.
It's with this favor from important French diplomats that he was able to negotiate our military alliance with France and the ultimate victory sealed with
the Treaty of Paris.

It's not a coincidence that this public relations expert always remained tight with the press to leverage his own ideas and public image. He understood the
value of media and how it could help accomplish his goals, as seen in many instances where his public influence can be traced to the articles and pamphlets
he distributed.

Brand managers should look at how Franklin successfully worked with the media to convey his brand and how they can use the press to deliver their own.
Tactical and well-articulated pieces hold sway and can shape public opinion, but it's important to keep one other bit of Franklin's philosophy in mind: "We
must not in the course of public life expect immediate approbation and immediate grateful acknowledgment of our services."

Humility and a realistic approach never hurt in the public sphere.

Thomas Jefferson: Master of the pen

If Jefferson left any legacy, it was his written word. Not only is he the lead author of the Declaration of Independence, for which we celebrate this
holiday, but he produced a number of other works that helped shape early American philosophy and debate.

His thoughts on paper combined much of the popular thinking of his day—including that of Locke, Hobbes, Montesquieu, and Rousseau—and set a tone for the
beginning of philosophical application as we set out to embark on a new political experiment.

It's crucial to articulate your own company's messages in a purposeful and masterful way, as Jefferson did. It's also important to ask yourself, who is
your audience and what is your communications goal?

Jefferson understood that this would be read not only by King George, but also by two other important groups: his compatriots, who needed their feelings
articulated in an eloquent and comprehensive way, and loyalists, who might sway with the new nation or be provoked to flee in allegiance to the old
country.

He articulated the colonies' grievances for all, and his chosen words continue to stir emotions today.

George Washington: Master of thought leadership

You'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't think Washington is the ultimate American hero.

You can't go to an American town without finding a Washington Street, and I work only a few blocks from beautiful Washington Square Park in New York, where
a triumphal arch is dedicated in his honor. He achieved this lofty position in America's minds and hearts through his tremendous success in war execution
and political morality and neutrality.

His innate ability to lead was unquestionable, and with this he organized a nation that continues to aspire to his ability.

Behind Washington is a massive amount of evidence that backs up his genius. He created war strategies that won the crucial battles of Saratoga and
Yorktown, remained neutral during European conflicts that could have wiped us out, and implemented presidential traditions such as the Cabinet and
inaugural address.

Every president since then has aspired to his reputation of thought leadership, or at least some semblance of originality and honor.

You see this in every presidential library that's ever built. Exhibits in these monuments painstakingly build former presidents into idols, trying to
convince visitors that they led brilliantly by their own wisdom (or at least as best they could, considering the historical context of their terms).

Demonstrating thought leadership is crucial if any brand wants to establish third-party credibility. Your information has to be excellent, innovative, "out
of the box," and, needless to say, correct.

Washington benefitted from early victories; it's important you get your message out early, too. As a brand manager, think about what the conversation is in
your industry and what hasn't been said. Is it time to change the conversation? Perhaps. If you have a new message, say it. Reporters and, more important,
the public will listen.

Pause to reflect

So, this holiday, enjoy your franks and your frank relatives, sip your beer by the pool, and enjoy the warm sun. However, if you can spare a moment, think
about what our Founding Fathers can teach you about public relations.

After all, if they weren't as popular, or as learned, or as tactfully brilliant, we may not have the freedoms we afford today.